Haven for foodies in St Andrews
Executive Head Chef Craig Sneddon enthuses over the refurbishment and refreshed menu for The Niblick Restaurant & Bar
The highly-popular R&A World Golf Museum’s restaurant in St Andrews is set to launch an innovative new menu next week following a recent refurbishment.
Situated above the marvellous museum, The Niblick Restaurant & Bar will excite the appetite of any golfer with its unparalleled panoramas over the Old Course, West Sands, and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Now residents, visitors, and families can enjoy the finest locally-sourced ingredients as part of the refreshed dinner menu, running from Wednesdays to Saturdays between 5pm and 10pm.
The new bill of fare has been carefully developed by The R&A’S Executive Head Chef, Craig Sneddon, who has more than 22 years’ experience with the renowned organisation.
The dishes will be served in The Niblick, which has been refurbished by Edinburghbased 442 Design, with the colour palette chosen to reflect the Old Course and St Andrews coastline.
The new dinner menu, which allows the sevenstrong kitchen team the opportunity to offer an elevated dining experience, will feature alongside breakfast and lunch menus, while Sundays will remain focused on the traditional roast.
The new offering at dinner includes delicious dishes such as beef carpaccio with mustard mayonnaise and rocket, 30-day aged fillet steak, and pan-seared hake with curried mussel stew and gunpowder potatoes.
“The dinner menu is a modern style and quite innovative, but it also will appeal to all palates and ages, so there is something on the menu for everyone,” explains Craig, who is a member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain.
“The inspiration behind the menus comes from my own ideas but also my own experiences of eating out, and seeing dishes that other chefs are cooking – thinking about how I would do it differently.”
“I like to keep in touch with everything that is going on in the culinary world, so I am always keeping an eye on the latest food trends.”
The breakfast menu continues to feature traditional British favourites, while the lunch options present indulgent clubhouse classics including fish and chips, club sandwich, and
Caesar salad, among many others.
And a key to the success of the restaurant is the quality of the local produce sourced. Craig notes: “We have a fabulous larder in Scotland with great ingredients. We use local lobster and crab that is basically straight out of St Andrews Bay, and our steaks are from across the water in
Angus and sought through Scott Brothers Butchers in Dundee, so I try to keep it as local as possible.”
In addition to the new menu, the refurbishment – which took nine months to plan and a week to complete – has included the installation of a dedicated bar and a TV to show sports events.
A wide range of cocktails is on offer, and includes favourites such as mojito, negroni and espresso martini.
“It is a nice place to come along and admire the views over the sea and Old Course while enjoying a drink,” Craig adds.
Both the restaurant and museum, which explores 600 years of golf history, can be hired for private events, and the experienced kitchen team are happy to curate a bespoke and tailored menu for each occasion.
The spaces are highly flexible and the museum provides an ideal space for guests to enjoy a drinks reception before heading upstairs for a sit-down meal.
The family friendly venue hosts a range of exhibitions throughout the year, alongside its fascinating permanent displays, and is soon to hold the Pass it on: Women’s Experiences in Golf exhibition, which will feature previously unseen collections amassed during 150 years of women’s golf.
There are six galleries and interactive zones which allow guests to discover St Andrews and its influence on golf around the world, highlighting how the game’s origins on Scotland’s East Coast have led to its tremendous global success.
After a morning or afternoon spent exploring the sport’s history in the museum, the restaurant is certainly worth a visit and, as Craig says, it is “first class”, adding: “It is right on the beach next to the golf courses and the views throughout the day are spectacular.
“They are across the golf courses, but also St Andrews Bay towards Carnoustie and you can’t buy the view that we have, so that makes it particularly special.
“The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and it is really light and airy with loads of glass, meaning we get natural sunlight throughout the day, so it is a really nice venue.”
The dinner menu is a modern style and quite innovative, but it also will appeal to all palates and ages, so there is something for everyone